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Mizzima: Release of Burma's student



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<center><b><font color="#000099"><font size=+2>Release of Burma's student
leader sought</font></font></b></center>

<p><i><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>August 9, 2001</font></font></i>
<br><i><font color="#FF0000"><font size=+1>Mizzima News Group <a href="http://www.mizzima.com";>(www.mizzima.com)</a></font></font></i>
<p><font size=+1>More than 1,500 people from 70 countries around the world
have signed a petition urging the Burmese military generals to immediately
release the imprisoned student leader Min Ko Naing, according to International
Student Festival in Tromheim (ISFiT) in Norway.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The petition also urges the ruling State Peace and Development
Council in Burma to fully reopen the country's universities, which have
been on and off during the past thirteen years as the military authorities
prevent the students gathering for political activities.</font>
<p><font size=+1>?It is very positive that ISFiT has achieved to gather
such great support to Burma from all over the world. Through releasing
some political prisoners it may look like the military regime is loosening
the grip. But even so it is extremely important to sustain the international
pressure", said Kjell Magne Bondevik, former Norwegian Prime Minister and
also a member of the Student Peace Prize Committee.</font>
<p><font size=+1>"If the universities are not reopened to all that wants
to study, Burma will soon be without competent teachers, engineers and
health workers. I share the worry of Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu
Kyi for the future of Burma?, commented Thorvald Stoltenberg, another member
of the Student Peace Prize Committee.</font>
<p><font size=+1>The petition, which will be sent to the Burmese military
regime in a few days, was initiated as the All Burma Federation of Student
Unions (ABFSU) and its leader Min Ko Naing was awarded the Student Peace
Prize 2001 by ISFiT in cooperation with three main Norwegian student unions:
SAIH, NSU and StL.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Min Ko Naing was the chairman of the ABFSU, which had
played a vital role during the 1988 people's uprising in Burma. He was
arrested in March 1989 by the military junta for his anti-government activities
and he remains in jail despite the fact that his jail sentence was completed
in 1999.</font>
<p><font size=+1>He is reportedly being detained in Bu Thi Taung prison
in Arakan State of Burma.</font>
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